Lumosity said the rankings are based on data from more than three million of its users in the U.S. between the ages of 18-75 who had played multiple Lumosity games.

The data measure differences in cognitive performance across geographic areas by examining scores from users’ first few sessions playing games across five cognitive areas: memory, processing speed, flexibility, attention and problem solving.

“One of the most interesting findings from this analysis is that most of the top metro areas contain major research universities, suggesting that education is an important predictor of cognitive performance,” Sternberg said. “Neuroscience research has found that those who are engaged in learning and cognitively stimulating activities throughout the lifetime build up a ‘cognitive reserve’ that helps maintain and improve cognitive performance.”

Economists and urban researchers tend to analyze the collective intelligence of cities based on socioeconomic variables like income and education levels, Sternberg said, while Lumosity's Smartest Cities are based on cognitive performance.

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